BRIGHTON - There remains insufficient evidence that there are adverse health effects related to wind turbines, says Dr. Lynn Noseworthy, Medical Officer of Health for the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.
She told the board of health Thursday that there is considerable controversy regarding wind turbines, but the largest issue is the siting of them, not health issues.
But City of Kawartha Lakes Councillor Heather Stauble disagrees.
She told the board that there are hundreds of reports of adverse health effects that have been submitted to the Ministry of the Environment.
“We know there are problems,” she said. “There are already health issues.
Stauble did agree that siting was critical.
She said there was one original project in CoKL that would have to comply with larger setbacks, so the company broke it down into three smaller projects in order to comply with the regulations for smaller projects - and she wants increased setbacks ”that apply to the cumulative number of turbines in a proposed area.”
Her fellow councillor, Doug Elmslie, said that the Green Energy Act aside, “what we’re dealing with is unknown as it relates to health.”
“Setbacks and low frequency noise are an unknown, but we’re here to look at what is best for our residents,” Elmslie said. “We’re not asking for these to be stopped forever and ever, amen - we just want the province and the feds to look into this.
”Wind turbines are here to stay,” said Cobourg Mayor Gil Brocanier, adding that wind turbines themselves aren’t the issue, it’s where they’re sited.
He said that citing health concerns to the ministry isn’t gaining any traction - but municipalities wanting control of where the projects are sited is.
“Municipalities want to have control of where they’re sited,” he said.
And that’s the issue because currently the Green Energy Act trumps the Planning Act, Brocanier said.
Renewable energy projects get the go-ahead where municipal bylaws would not allow, he said.
Provincial appointee Sandra Jack said she thought two proposed motions had a lot of merit, and proposed a blending of the motions.
“Dr. Noseworthy’s motion addresses the process, not just the project,” Jack said. “But there should be some mention of health.”
She identified the health reports as “self-reported health concerns.”
“In order to reduce community stress and anxiety, they should allow input from residents in the area,” she said.
The meeting adjourned while a new motion was written up, a motion that Dr. Noseworthy said she fully backed.
“It’s a really good place to be and it will carry a lot more weight,” she said. “This should be very well received provincially.”
The board members were unanimous in supporting the motion which included the province revising the small feed-in-tariff program rules for projects between 10 and 500 kW to give priority to projects partnered or led by municipalities, working with municipalities to determine a property tax rate for wind turbine towers, and providing funding to help small- and medium-sized municipalities develop municipal energy plans which will focus on increasing conservation and help identify the best energy infrastructure options for a community, as well as health issues, increasing setbacks for cumulative wind turbine projects, and allowing an opportunity for community members to provide input.
joyce.cassin@sunmedia.ca
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